(Central News Agency reporter Yu Xiaohan, Taipei, 27th) Aftershocks continued after the 403 earthquake, and there was another aftershock of magnitude 6 or above early this morning. In this regard, the Meteorological Administration stated that the aftershock sequence of the 403 earthquake was not too abnormal compared with the past 921 earthquake, and the possibility of aftershocks of magnitude 6 or above cannot be ruled out.
According to the latest information from the Central Meteorological Administration, multiple earthquakes occurred early this morning, including a magnitude 6.1 earthquake at 2:21 a.m., with a maximum magnitude of 4 in Hualien, Yilan, Nantou, Taichung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu County, and New Taipei City. National alerts were sounded in 13 counties and cities, including Taipei City and New Taipei City.
Pu Xinjie, a researcher at the Earthquake Prediction and Forecasting Center of the Central Meteorological Administration, told the media this morning that the Hualien area is an area of intense plate compression and collision. The 403 earthquake caused local structural instability, so there will be stress adjustment. The early morning earthquake occurred during this aftershock. The northerly position in the sequence sometimes moves northward and sometimes moves southward due to stress adjustment.
According to statistics from the Meteorological Administration, as of 6 a.m. today, there have been a total of 1,303 aftershocks, 328 significantly felt aftershocks, and 975 small area aftershocks, including 5 aftershocks of magnitude 6 or above, and 63 aftershocks of magnitude 5 to 6.
Pu Xinjie said that the aftershock sequence of the 403 earthquake is somewhat similar to the aftershock trend of the 921 earthquake. The number of earthquakes every day gradually decreases, but sometimes there will be an active period of aftershocks, and the aftershocks are expected to last for at least 3 to 6 months.
Pu Xinjie said that after a large-scale earthquake, the aftershocks will take longer, which is the same as 921. In terms of earthquake sequences, it is not too long yet. Compared with the 921 earthquake, this earthquake It won’t be too unusual.
Pu Xinjie gave an example. During the 921 earthquake, 10 aftershocks of magnitude 6 or above occurred within one week. By October of that year, there were also aftershocks of magnitude 6 in Chiayi. Therefore, the possibility of magnitude 6 or above cannot be ruled out in the future.
As for why strong earthquakes occur at night, Pu Xinjie said that it is relatively coincidental. The 403 main shock this time did not occur at night but in the morning.
The reason why Shuangbei received a national-level warning this time but not the 403 earthquake, Pu Xinjie explained, is mainly because the 403 earthquake was large in scale. Generally speaking, the time band for obtaining source information is relatively long, which happened to be when the 403 earthquake was evaluating the source parameters. , the time period is not enough, the estimate will be a little biased.
Pu Xinjie said that the possibility of the 403 earthquake triggering other earthquakes cannot be ruled out, because it may indeed disturb surrounding structures or even structures farther away. (Editor: Li Xizhang) 1130427
